One call changed the course of my life forever.

When my phone rings after a night drinking with my best friend, I had no idea my whole world was about to change.

“A book is missing,” a deep, unnaturally enticing voice growls down the line.

Panicked, I race out to Dragerfield Library, breaking all the rules—even if a book is missing, we’re only allowed on property during the day.

But if I don’t find that ancient tome, I’ll be fired anyway.

“You should have waited until morning, human.”

Too late to retreat, I soon learn why the rules exist. Dragerfield is a doorway between worlds. A doorway to Risest, the Faerie realm. A realm they access at night.

And I’m the moronic human who wandered uninvited into their midst.

The fae use humans for two reasons: entertainment, and well, you can use your imagination for the other.

Even worse, the voice on the line that set all of this in motion is no ordinary fae. Drager, with his dragon scales and smoky scent is one of their gods. A Fallen Five.

My new captor.

A missing book is the least of my worries now.

I’d thought I was about to be fired, but instead, I’m heading to Faerie.

And it might be a one way trip.

When I started reading this book, my first thoughts were, ‘oh hell, I’ve stepped into a nightmare written book’. Because within the first few chapters, there was already sex between the main characters. I say nightmare because usually, this type of intense sexual attraction at the beginning is so off-putting and goes into pwp territory. I worried that this book would become a DNF.

I was pleasantly surprised when the outcome of those first few chapters were glossed over. That they weren’t pwp. I thought, ‘okay, maybe this book has some promise. ’

The world-building in this book is everything I needed. I wanted to know all about the lands, about the divides, about the different races, species, and animals. It was a depth I knew I needed to feel connected to the book. Never underestimate the power of good world-building.

What originally drew me to this book was the main character, Morgan. The cosy librarian vibes hooked me in. I was surprised to find her that her level of sarcasm matched my own. The way she views life is very relatable, and I enjoy the sarcastic humour she brings to her journey. I enjoy that she has curves, likes food, and isn’t the more stereotypical character for this sort of genre.  

The premise of the book is not easily hidden. Going into it, you know it is a reverse harem style of book, and you know she is 99% a mate to the five fallen gods. It’s not something that the author purposefully hides, but the characters do seem a little oblivious to it. I would switch from being annoyed by their oblivious nature to feeling endeared by it.

The friendship of Morgan and Lexie is one that I thought would shatter when truths are revealed. But I hadn’t accounted for Morgan’s upbringing would have shaped her into a person with an unbelievably big heart and hope of forgiveness. I’m sure that the behaviour Morgan received from her parents will be revealed as the series continues, but it has left the character with a deep need for love, compassion, kindness, and hope. I think Morgan needs Lexie’s character to survive and cope with the landscape she finds herself in. That isn’t to say she would be useless alone, but I think the comfort that Lexie brings Morgan makes her character bolder, more confident, and perhaps even more vocal.

Now, let’s talk about Drager, the first of the fallen gods that Morgan interacts with and certainly the one that she bonds with through this novel. Drager is the sun god. He is to the point. He is curious, frustrating, suspicious, and paranoid. His physical features appeal to Morgan and being in his presence turns her to goo. She does manage to keep her mind around him when they are not being spicy, which shows promise that she won’t just bend over backwards or rewrite her entire being for him. Drager, owns the library that Morgan works at, the place that she returns to at night, that starts the beginning of her chaotic story. He represents quiet power. His energy is consuming. He worries that someone is plotting against him and brings Morgan to the fae world to help solve the problem.

Zahak is the second fallen god we meet, opposite to Drager’s sun; Zahak is the midnight moon. He is darkness, power, and psychotic. He will slaughter all enemies that stand in his way. He is fiercely protective of Morgan (though none of the characters have worked out why…), and he even sends his most trusted Sabre to guard her. His dragon is midnight black. His domain includes the nightmare trench, the place where the darkest of monsters originated. He is, I believe, the twin of Drager, and each is fiercely competitive. Drager seems to think that Zahak wants to take Morgan from him. Zahak has shown he wants to protect Morgan. The dynamic is interesting, but I need more information to form more of an opinion.

We briefly meet the other three fallen gods, Emmen, Ty, and Kellan. Ty is the one Morgan interacts with the most in the brief meeting. She is also the one who pieces together the knowledge each of them brings to the table.

Now, the voice she heard right at the beginning of the book, the voice Drager brought her to the fae realm to identify, is revealed at the end of the book. It was not someone I had even thought of or considered. I think my thinking was on a much grander scale, and I was thinking too abstractly. It was an interesting reveal in that sense. I think it was compounded by the reveal that the five fallen gods have little to no memories of their life before they fell – this is not a spoiler, it is referenced throughout.

It makes for a very open plot because there are many avenues to be created from it, and it leaves the reader with many theories. This book is the first of a duo series. So, the next book is the final, and according to the Amazon blurb, it is a complete ending with no cliffhanger.

So, I am interested in seeing what turn the second book takes and what elements of the world-building here will carry over to the second book. I am also interested in the plot point of the revealed voice and whether it will carry a weight that makes sense for the story, or whether it will feel more left field and less authentic.

The final point is the spice level. I’d say it’s very low in this book. Probably a 0.5/10. The only spicy interactions Morgan has are with Drager, and they aren’t – imo – earthshattering.

I also highlighted two passages in the book –

‘He was every book boyfriend I’d ever dreamed of wrapped up in one package, and he’d probably be the reason I died today. If there was a walking red flag in a book, that was my man. Apparently, the same went for real life. Typical.’

“My next happy place is stabbing an asshole in the chest before he even sees my sword coming. You can have both, I promise.”